Tienshanosaurus

Tienshanosaurus was a mid-sized sauropod discovered in the late 1920s in Xinjiang, China, by Chinese geologist Yuan Fuli during the Sino-Swedish Expedition. It was formally described by Yang Zhongjian in 1937. Found in the Late Jurassic Shishugou Formation, its remains comprise an associated partial postcranial skeleton including limb bones, pelvic elements, and vertebrae. Measuring around twelve to fourteen metres in length, Tienshanosaurus was relatively modest in stature compared to massive contemporaries like Mamenchisaurus. Its exact evolutionary placement has long been debated, often assigned to Mamenchisauridae or considered a basal eusauropod.

It was one of the earliest sauropods found in northwestern China by the Sino-Swedish expedition.

Where and when

Tienshanosaurus lived in the Late Jurassic, from 161.2 to 157.3 million years ago (Oxfordian age). Its remains come from China, in the Shishugou Formation.

The numbers

Length 13 m (estimates run from 12 to 14 m). Mass about 6.7 t. Hip height about 3 m. That is 7.6 human-lengths, or 1.16 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

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